The Board of Trustees of the California State University has mandated that all students earning undergraduate or graduate degrees in the CSU must be certified as proficient in writing at the upper-division level.

Students must earn proficiency after reaching 90 units. The GWR must be fulfilled at Cal Poly, not at another campus.

Students may meet the GWR through one of the following options:

1. Pass the Writing Proficiency Exam (WPE) with a score of eight out of a twelve-points possible OR
2. Pass an approved upper-division course with a grade of C or better AND receive certification of proficiency in writing based on a 500-word in-class essay.

The upper-division courses approved for GWR credit are listed in the Catalog. Some, but not all, GWR-approved courses also meet GE and USCP requirements.

The Cal Poly English Department has established the GWR certification standards and specification guidelines which must be met within the English courses in Option 2. If a student chooses Option 2 to meet the GWR, he or she must inform the instructor teaching that course. Students may attempt to write a proficient in-class essay more than once.

The Writing Skills Program administers the Graduation Writing Requirement, including the upper-division Writing Proficiency Examination (WPE).

Go to the Writing Skills Program website for additional information on the WPE or for a list of courses that fulfill the GWR.

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